Race Day!

We did it!!! I say 'we' because I was lucky enough to be joined by Emma, Jo, and Rachel, who all ran or walked (or ran/walked) the Round the Bays 6.5k with me.  What a great day.  Struggling to get up so early to catch the train, we all managed to arrive in Wellington in plenty of time for the start of the race.  In fact we had time to stand around chatting and watching the enthusiasts warm up with the guidance of a team from Les Mills.  We also had time to track down the bag van so our stuff would be transported to the finish line for us.

The nerves were starting to kick in as we joined the crowd waiting to set off.  We agreed that since we all had different levels of fitness and speed, we would head off independently and meet up at the finish line.   I set off at a steady pace and soon lost track of where my team mates were around me.

It was a perfect day for running - Overcast with the slightest breeze.   I managed to run for 20 minutes before I started to struggle.  It wasn't so much the physical strain, as a mental battle.  I kept pushing myself though and although I did slow for short walk breaks, I quickly managed to set myself to running again.  At the end of the race, my watch said that I had taken just under 48 minutes.  My best time is 42 minutes, but since I haven't been back running for very long I was very happy with my time.

It was a great day and now I am looking forward to continuing to improve my fitness, ready for an even better time next year.  I may even seek out a race to enter between now and then.